allimid Reviews

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Fabulous Cinematography, Well Done (vague spoiler at end?)

[9/10 · 16 November 2001]

The cinematography was *amazing* and I'm not usually one to comment on it. The costuming, sets, and make-up were phenomenal as well. The snake scene, Quidditch, chess scenes, and moving portraits were just awesome (watch the pictures in the background during the infirmary scene!)

Walking away from the movie, my favorites were actually different than the book. In the book, I liked Hermione. In the movie, I wanted to bat her senseless with a nerf bat for the overkill attitude. However, that could be due to either the lines, or Emma Watson's lack of acting background (which was extremely obvious in that she sometimes had to pause to remember a line, looked a bit startled when it came to her turn, and was a bit forced). She didn't quite look like what I thought, nor did Dumbledore.

I *LOVED* the characters of Ron, Madame Hooch, and Hagrid (Hagrid I liked in the book as well). Rupert Grint did an absolutely phenomenal job with the character of Ron, and was an incredible asset to the movie! Madame Hooch just looked very cool, much spiffier than I thought. Robbie Coltrane did a fantastic job as Hagrid as well, with a running comment that always evoked laughs from the audience. Rickman as Snape and Maggie Smith as McGonagal was pure genius! They were the epitome of the characters... Rickman playing Snape even better than I'd imagined the character!!

The only down side to the movie is that one section of the climax was dropped so it didn't make sense considering the alluding to a teacher's (Snape) help throughout the movie. And, even though I'd read the books, I felt like I missed something with how it jumped from the chess scene to the mirror. The good aspects far outweighed the bad, however!

Bless the Child (2000)

Unoriginal plot, but very well done.

[9/10 · 14 August 2000]

The plot, like most movies today, is nothing new. A special child to be won over in the battle of good versus evil. It was not as scary as I anticipated from the trailers, although I did still feel a bit jumpy and squeamish with some scenes.

The special effects were good (and mostly believable), the casting was terrific, and the acting was *superb*. Even if the plot doesn't grab you, I HIGHLY recommend seeing this movie for the acting alone. One of the better quality movies this season.

The Kid (2000)

Tired plot. See as matinee or video.

[1/10 · 14 July 2000]

Bruce Willis, as usual, does an excellent job.

[warning: may be considered a "spoiler"]

While my friend thought it was good, I kept glancing at my watch during the entire movie wondering when it would end. After seeing such great flicks as "The Patriot" and "Chicken Run" I was really disappointed in Disney's "The Kid."

Willis plays a middle-aged man with a harsh and realistic attitude on putting a positive spin on people's images (he's an Image Consultant). An unknown kid shows up. Yes, it's him but younger, and even Lily Tomlin can see him. At this point I'm reminded of a cross between a poor "Quantum Leap" episode and a bad time traveling flick.

Kid and Willis go through trying to figure out why he's in that time period. They figure it out. They meet Willis when he's older. Nevermind that it never goes into detail how old Willis teleports them between time periods and gets them together to begin with, how he got that knowledge to begin with, how he came to the realization that he needed to do this, and so on.

Basically, it's a very tired, unoriginal, uninspiring plot that has some great actors in it. The good news is that "the Kid" actor is nowhere near as annoying as he's presented in the trailers on television.

The Patriot (2000)

Good, and also gory.

[10/10 · 14 July 2000]

I am not typically a huge fan of gore, nor 3 hour movies. However, I really enjoyed this movie. It was well-done (although some scenes did remind me of "Braveheart" trailers), and when it was over with I wanted to go to the library or a bookstore to find out more about this time period of U.S. History and the real person it was based on to see how accurate it was!

It has the love, the romance, the bloodiness of war, and even some humor. There were scenes that made me cringe just like I did with scenes in "Schindler's List." Those scenes were also not something I'd thought about before (e.g. the church scene near the end), and in that respect it was good to see them.

The best scene in the movie, in my opinion, takes place early on in the movie. The actions that Gibson takes, as well as the looks on the children's faces, are unforgettable. The horror of bloodshed, the love of family, and what humans are capable of stands out so strongly in that scene -- even weeks after seeing it.

Scary Movie (2000)

I DON'T recommend this for youth under 16.

[3/10 · 14 July 2000]

The changes in the mask face were hysterical, and I loved the plays on various television shows and movies. It was neat trying to see who was going to be spoofed next!

The down side was that the humor was almost completely sexual in orientation, and many scenes were definitely NOT appropriate for young children or even early teenagers. Not unless you are a parent who's comfortable with sitting the kids down after the movie and explaining the silicon mastectomy, the white fountain of ejaculate, the big deal on penis size, or what people do with those sex toys. Most parents in the theater I was in were not able to handle those topics, and some even covered their children's eyes during many scenes (the children being ages 11-13).

I viewed it with a recent high school graduate, a friend in the early 20s, and another friend in the early 30s who works with children. While we had differing opinions on how good it was, we *ALL* agreed that the R-rating should be followed in that it is NOT APPROPRIATE FOR YOUNG TEENS AND CHILDREN.

In some ways it was funny, but the humor got old very quickly unless you concentrated more on the non-sexual spoofs part of it.

For those that did like it, or are a big fan of the Wayans brothers style of comedy, make sure that you stay and watch ALL of the credits -- there's an extra scene at the end! (Not especially great, but it does tie-in to the movie).